Moët & Chandon Collection Impériale Création N°1

Seven remarkable vintages, twenty years of craftsmanship Moët & Chandon at its most exceptional

Moët & Chandon Collection Impériale Création N°1 is a remarkable new chapter for one of Champagne’s most famous Houses. Created to mark Moët & Chandon’s 280th anniversary, it was some 20 years in the making under Cellar Master Benoît Gouez and is a very different expression of Moët from the Champagne most of us know.

Rather than showcasing a single year, Création N°1 brings together wines from seven vintages – 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2013. Different wines were matured using different methods, including stainless steel and oak, before being brought together to create the final Champagne. The 2004 component was even matured through a second fermentation in bottle before being incorporated into the blend.

The result is wonderfully layered and complex. Toasted and roasted notes mingle with mocha and liquorice before giving way to hazelnut, vanilla and freshly baked madeleine. Riper notes of mirabelle plum and dried fig emerge with time in the glass. The palate is generous and creamy, balanced by excellent freshness and very fine bubbles, with subtle smoky and savoury notes carrying through the long, elegant finish.

Perhaps most surprisingly, Création N°1 is the first Brut Nature Champagne ever released by Moët & Chandon. With zero dosage (0g/L), no additional sweetness is used to soften the finished Champagne. Instead, its richness and balance come from the quality, maturity and complexity of the wines themselves.

Made from 40% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 20% Meunier, this is a fascinating Champagne and a genuine collector’s bottle,not simply a special edition of Moët, but something quite different from the House.

ABV 12%